Book Description

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.And Number Three in Kenya.They killed them all.

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.And Number Three in Kenya.They killed them all.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month, August 2010: John Smith has just arrived in Paradise, Ohio, just another stop in a string of small towns where the 15-year-old has been hiding out from the Mogadorians. Those terrifying aliens are hellbent on destroying him and the other nine Loric children who have sought refuge on Earth. The Mogadorians are picking off the surviving kids in numerical order. The first three are dead and John's number is up. Will his Legacies, his defining super powers, develop in time for him to fight against the enemy? I Am Number Four is a breathless page-turner of a sci-fi novel that will have readers rooting for the teen alien who must unleash his fire power to save himself, his human friends, and the planet. This is the first of a slated multi-book series that, judging by this first book, will help reinvigorate a traditional YA genre that's grown a bit light on strong character development. So, gear-up sci-fi fans, the battle for Earth is on and there's a new kid in town! --Lauren Nemroff

Will: Number Four is told to blend in but he finds this a difficult task. Being a mysterious figure yourself, has this ever happened to you?

Pittacus: I have always taken great care to conceal my identity. I change my appearance regularly. I do not speak or correspond with many people. No one has ever suspected me of being what I am, which is an alien military leader with superpowers. If anyone ever does, it will be a bad day for me.

Will: Why is now the time to write the unknown history of the planet Lorien and the Nine? What do you think the people of Earth can learn from the Lorien Legacies?

Pittacus: We are in the middle of a war to save the remaining Lorien, and to save earth. We thought the people of earth might want to know about it. I hope humanity does not make the same mistake we did on our planet, which was to be unprepared the day war arrived on a grand scale.

Will: Who do you think would win in a fight, Dracula or a Mogadorian?

Pittacus: Dracula wouldn’t stand a chance. If he tried to drink Mogadorian blood he’d poison himself. It’s would be like drinking battery acid.

Will: Number Four has his legacies as his best weapon. Do you think John could be an agent of Department Nineteen?

Pittacus: Once we have vanquished the Mogadorians, maybe that is what he will become. He certainly has some mad skills.

Will: Sarah in I Am Number Four is in love with an alien. Jamie in Department Nineteen is falling for a vampire named Larissa. What makes young love just so difficult? Do you think these crazy kids/vampires/aliens will ever make it work?

Pittacus: Love is a beautiful and confusing thing. I hope they all live happily ever after.

Will:I Am Number Four has made the perfect action sci-fi movie. What has it been like to see this come to life on the big screen?

Pittacus: It’s been thrilling and fun and very cool. We’re hoping to see all six of the books become films.

Will: What can we expect in The Power of Six?

Pittacus: Six is a powerful young woman. Mogadorians fear her. In The Power of Six, we see why.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Despite the amazing powers that many of the people of Lorien possess, the planet was defeated and its natural resources looted by Mogadorians in a matter of days. Only nine children escaped with their guardians to Earth, where they planned to hide until they developed their powers in order to defeat their enemies and revive Lorien. The Mogadorians hunt the Nine and have already killed three of them. And that's just the backstory. When Number Four, bearing the name "John Smith," moves to Paradise, OH, he runs afoul of the school bully, falls for the most beautiful girl in town, and befriends the local alien conspiracy nerd in short order. There is plenty of great action, but the dialogue is average, as is the character development. With its interesting premises and a fast-pace telling, the story will grab readers who are willing to suspend quite a bit of disbelief. Others, who like their science fiction with a bit more science and internal logic, will have to search elsewhere.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Man, this book is seriously garnering heaps of exposure, what with its already having been optioned for a movie, this movie scheduled for a 2011 release. I AM NUMBER FOUR, which admittedly is an awesome title, is penned by someone named Pittacus Lore, who claims to be a ten thousand year old space alien seeking to warn us of hostile other aliens currently lurking in our midst. This is cute. Except that two folks named Jobie Hughes and James Frey are the actual authors.

The high stakes premise goes like this: Nine alien children have fled their annihilated homeworld of Lorien and have sought refuge on Earth. Having scattered to the winds, they are being hunted down, one by one, by a separate and malevolent extraterrestrial race from a dying planet. Thanks to a quasi-mystical protective charm placed on the Nine, they can only be killed in order (although, my bet is that Number One doesn't regard this charm as all that "protective"). As the book opens, three of the Nine have already been tracked down and murdered. So we come to Number Four.

His name used to be Daniel Jones. It used to be something else before that, and then something else before that, and so on. Ten years on Earth, ten years of hiding and staying always on the move and staying safe and alive... this is the life of Number Four and his guardian and mentor whose name is Henri (oddly, Henri's alien accent sounds very much like a French accent). Number Four has just collected a new scar circling his right ankle, this an indicator that another of the Nine has been recently slain. Three scarred rings around his ankle, and so Number Four knows he's next. And it's time to pack up the bags again, time again to get the eff out of Dodge.

Henri and Number Four - or "John Smith," his new assumed name - have always gravitated to tiny towns, conjecturing that their hunters would stick out more like sore thumbs in tiny towns. They end up in Paradise, Ohio. For John it's another try at blending in in school but without making friends, because no one can be trusted. Except that it's a little different this time. John Smith befriends a geeky kid who is a science-fiction enthusiast. He adopts a stray mutt named Bernie Kosar (and Bernie Kosar, by the way, is easily the book's breakout character). And John Smith also meets a girl. So much for staying on one's guard.

My first impression, while reading the first few pages of this book, was that this whole thing is very reminiscent of two short-lived television sci-fi shows: THE POWERS OF MATTHEW STAR from the early '80s and, more recently, ROSWELL. But then, pressing on, I guess it's inevitable that comparisons to the X-Men would surface. The Nine teens are holing up while waiting for their superhuman powers (called Legacies) to develop. These Legacies vary, and there's no guessing as to which abilities a Nine would latch up to. Number Four is at that age when his Legacies would shortly begin to crop up. And they do start cropping up, one by one, and there is a really fun factor in watching our sympathetic alien boy try to cope with each incoming talent.

Gratifyingly, the alien hunters from Mogadore aren't only downright intimidating, they seem even more powerful than the Nine and their guardians (and the guardians aren't at all equipped with superpowers). This drives up the suspense. What I AM NUMBER FOUR has going for it is its irresistible sci-fi/superhero premise and a pace that really moves. Number Four is a likable protagonist, although someone needs to explain to him the exact definition of keeping a low profile. After all, dude is supposed to be in hiding and fitting in. He really doesn't do much of either. None of the supporting cast break out of their stereotypical mold, and only the scene-stealing dog Bernie Kosar seems to be an original character. I will say that John's geeky pal Sam does come up with a touching reason for why he's such a sci-fi freak and why he wears those fugly prescription glasses. And as much as I dig Sarah, her and John Smith's teen romance feels like any other teen romance in YA lit. It comes in a nice, predictable package. Sarah is gorgeous and nice... and, well, bland. Another issue I have concerns a high school bully whose turnaround comes too abruptly. Perhaps the most intriguing element in the book concerns the mystery surrounding the very peculiar Bernie Kosar (see how I keep coming back to the dog?).

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the first book in a planned six-book series, and it reads very visual, especially in the explosive action sequences, and no wonder this is being made into a movie. Number Four performs bits of astounding derring-do throughout the book, but things get really amped up during the final 90 pages. It all culminates in one of those blistering "Release the Kraken!" Jim Butcher-type paranormal (except it's sci-fi) shoot-'em-outs. I can see why Bay and Spielberg are salivating so.

I liked this book, and will most definitely be thre when the sequels come out. But here's the thing, if you're hanging your hat on something that's on par with the likes of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series or even Michael Grant's Gone novels, this won't suit you. I AM NUMBER FOUR isn't as immersing or resonant as those books. THE HUNGER GAMES made me well up in places. GONE reads like LORD OF THE FLIES as co-authored by Rod Serling and Stephen King. I AM NUMBER FOUR had me eating up all the "superhero without a costume" elements, and it's always nice when you can transfer yourself onto a central character who is superstrong and superfast and who won't back down from bullies. I did really like that a surprise character shows up very late in the book, and it looks like she'll be heavily featured in future installments. I'll give this one 4 stars out of 5, because I'm shallow like that and big, bold, f/x-heavy fighty fights never ever fail to transfix me. And because the dog Bernie Kosar is in it.Read more ›

I'm going to write this review while trying to grapple with the emotional conflict I Am Number Four left me with: disappointment and... well, I don't know a noun for 'bland shrugging'. I'm keeping this spoiler free as well.

Before I wrestle those demons, I want to start straight off and say that I saw the movie first. I had heard about the book from a few friends and wasn't interested. But, the movie previews looked reasonably enjoyable. I like action, explosions and super powers. Frankly, I was expecting two hours of mind numbing violence and cool chase scenes.

I liked the movie, despite it's abysmal reviews. It reminded me a bit of Xmen, a lot of Smallville and a touch of Jumper. That's a promising mix. There's some romance, but it's very light if not perfectly easy to ignore... which... is definitely a fault in its own right, but take it for what it is. After watching it, I decided I had to get the book. I could see potential, and since Hollywood is not often kind to YA book adaptations I gave the original the benefit of the doubt. I wanted a little more depth to the story and figured it would expand much further in text. They were all likable characters in the movie; I wanted to know more about them. I found the book on sale and took a leap of faith with my wallet instead of checking it out from the library. A red flag went off when I opened it and saw the page layout. The page numbers will tell you 440. I cannot describe how misleading this is unless you personally open the book and look at the margins. They are big enough to drive a whaling ship through them. Condensed, it probably would not push 250 pages. But, like I said, leap of faith and all.

Welcome to my demons.

This book is written by two different people and holy cow can you tell. The problem is that one writer is better than the other. Some of the chapters are so dry and brittle that I caught myself staring at the wall instead of reading. There is a minuscule (if any) amount of description or voice when these pieces of the books pop up. It's written with the power and dignity of a grocery list.

- I just entered a house.- There is a couch.- A girl was sitting on the couch.- I hope Sara likes me.- Golly Mark is a jerk.

This is NOT what I expected. I wanted expansion, not limitation. What goes on inside John's head? I dunno. Not very much apparently. The writing is so dry it's kind of disgusting. I wasn't expecting Stephen King or JK Rowling here, but something other than "the sky looked blue today. I'm wearing nike sneakers." would have sufficed. By the way, do you like the title of my review? I hope so. Because it's the direct line from I Am Number Four that broke me.

Author 2's parts of the book are much more... I loath to say "better", so let's go with "bearable"... because there's actual prose. John sometimes even has personality and emotions! Whoa! It wasn't fantastic, or even near an acceptable second draft, but it was better than reading the back of a cereal box, which is something I guess.

Most of it takes place in high school, centered around John acting out life as a typical kid (aside from flashlight hands). Do you remember very much from every day of school? No? That's because it's BORING. And it's going to stay BORING unless you tackle it from an interesting angle. Of which the authors, apparently, are incapable. This. Should. Be. Easy. The plot is about a teenager with developing superpowers who is on the run from murderous aliens. How do you mess that up? How? This story is derivative and needs strong characterization and confident writing to stay afloat. It's an honest shame it turned out how it did.

I'll end with admitting that I'm slightly off of the target audience list. I'm 20 and in college, and this is geared more towards jr high and high school. Regardless, I read a lot of YA books, and even when I was in middle school I would not be impressed by this wad of mediocre crap. The authors think their audience is stupid and can't handle depth or subtlety. That's all there is to it.

edit: While looking around the net for other I am Number Four reviews, I stumbled on something disturbing. James Frey (author of A Million Little Pieces, a supposed memoir where he lied about everything which, by the way, is the direct opposite of a memoir) is one of the two people who worked on it. By 'worked on it' I mean had someone else create the story and most of the writing and then not really give them credit or money (that someone was Jobie Hughes). Frey is currently running a so called young adult fiction machine; basically an assembly line made up of inexperienced, new writers who are so desperate for publishing that they'll consider his slimy hand. He wants to mass produce the "next Harry Potter", as he so lovingly put it. I don't freaking think so, buddy.

If you google "james frey full fathom five" you'll dig up plenty of information on it, including a ridiculous contract. I advise you to stay away from this venomous predator and his line of commercialized desperation.Read more ›

In the not so distant past I worked at a few book stores. A problem I ran into frequently was finding books for teen boys. The YA market is flooded with books meant solely for girls. Boys have always been a harder sell when it comes to reading and publishers haven't made it an easier job, especially when they have flooded the teen market with paranormal romance.

So recommendations for teen boys often meant I would recommend The Hunger Games. Unfortunately many guys aren't too keen on reading a book in which the main character is a girl, no matter how good the story is. So after going through the other 5 or 6 good teen guy books I could think of I would often recommend a book in the general fiction and literature section, but parents often fear that their children will encounter questionable subject matter. Which they may, but they should also remember many of the books their children read in school are found in the fiction and literature not the teen section.

I found "I am Number Four" to be a great action adventure, that followed the traditional hero archetype. The main character, number Four or John Smith, is as relatable as a alien teenager on the run can be. The surrounding cast of characters rounds out this alien boys average existence, Henri, his alien guardian/father figure, Sam, his nerdy best friend, Sarah, his crush, and Mark, a bully and Sarah's ex. The story is a super power driven action packed adventure, filled with all the tender feelings and angst that a every teenager has.

It was a quick read. I got through it in about a day and a half. I would recommend this book for anyone over the age of 13. I hope that the quick success of this book will bring about a revamp of the YA publishing field and allow for more guy teen fiction or fiction that can cross gender lines. Anyone that truly enjoyed this book should read The Hunger Games. I can't wait to see the film and read the rest of the series. Happy reading to you all.Read more ›

Forums

What you probably want is the 1st Edition and 1st Printing. I think what that 2 means, is that it's the 2nd printing of the 1st Edition. I got my copy from a batch that was received for the 8/3/10 release date and my copy also has the 2 at the end-this is weird because that is usually not the... Read More